Aspen pulled far enough of way to look me in the eyes. “You have such a big heart, Sebastian Dale Hawkins.”
“Shh, don’t tell anyone that either.”
“Your secrets are safe with me.”
I buried my face in her hair, to hide from the seriously mushy words that were about to come out of my mouth. “And your heart is safe with me.”
We were quiet for a few more minutes, just holding each other and dancing. Suddenly, Aspen was talking again, her voice low and hurt. “She loves him, you know.”
I was a little confused. Hadn’t we already talked about Mom loving Roger? “What?”
She tilted her head to the side and I saw Pris standing in the corner. It had been a bumpy ride between her and Jaden for the past month. She was my one failed hook-up and it still killed me. Especially after seeing her face when it had been me to show up at the diner and not Jaden. I never would have gone that route if I would have known how she felt. They were always civil to each other, but things were different now. There was always this kind of tension around us. “I know. Makes me feel like shit.”
“It’s not your fault.” She told me. “I just wish things would go back to the way they were, or that Jaden would pull his head out.”
“I think he’s going through some stuff.”
“Yeah, well she is too. I mean, they’re best friends. Why can’t they just help each other?”
The song faded, another slow song starting in its place. “Well, you know, I’ve been known to hook-up a person or two…”
“Oh, no. Don’t you even think about it, Bastian. I want them together too, but playing The Hook-up Doctor just makes a mess of things. We need to let them figure it out on their own.”
I shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not.”
I looked over at Jaden sitting about twenty feet away from Pris. His eyes were on her the same way I used to watch Aspen. Then he stood up and walked over to her. They talked and then he eased her just as close to himself as I held Aspen right now.
And then, without a sliver of space between them, they danced.